Cable assembly for mineral mining installations

Abstract

A cable assembly for use in electro-hydraulic control systems of mineral mining installations is composed of a cable with a plurality of electrical wires encased in a multi-layered armoured sheath and connectors at the ends of the cable. The cable is bonded to sealing bodies which fit in the connectors. The connectors are one-piece components each with a sleeve for coupling to the cable and a plug which fits into a socket of a complementary connector. The sealing bodies locate in the sleeves of the connectors and the wires pass through the sealing bodies to join with contacts supported by carriers in the plugs of the connectors. A screw-threaded ring clamps the cable to the sleeve of each connector.

We claim: 
     
       1. A multi-core electrical cable assembly for use in electro-hydraulic control systems for mineral mining installations; said cable assembly comprising: a flexible cable (1) composed of a multi-layered sheath surrounding a plurality of electrical conductors (3); said sheath including an inner plastics insulation layer (4) snugly fitting around the conductors, a braided metallic armoured intermediate layer (5) surrounding the inner layer, and an outer plastics insulation layer (6) surrounding the intermediate layer; a connector (7) provided on one of the ends of the cable; said connector comprising a one-piece cylindrical component defining a plug portion (8) with an interior surface and an exterior surface for mating with a socket of a complementary connector, and a screw-threaded sleeve portion (9) having a stepped interior bore surface larger than the interior surface of the plug portion to provide a shoulder (19) therebetween; a plastics sealing body with a stepped exterior disposed within the stepped bore surface to lock within the sleeve portion, said sealing body serving to receive and bond-in an end region of said one end of the cable with the conductors of the cables extending through the sealing body, and the inner and intermediate layers of the cable extending substantially through the sealing body; a plastics carrier (13) with through bars (14, 15) containing electrical plug and socket forming contacts (16, 17) terminating the conductors within the plug portion; the carrier having a flange (18) which fits into the sleeve portion to lock the carrier in the connector and prevent withdrawal from the connector in a direction opposite to the cable;   releasable means (20) for restraining rotation of the contact carrier within the connector;   a screw-threaded locking ring (21) engaging within the sleeve portion, the screw-threaded ring having a flange (23);   a sealing ring (24) tightly surrounding the outer layer of the cable and abutting the flange of the locking ring to secure the cable exterior to the connector;   means (28) on the plug portion for locating the connector in the correct orientation with respect to the complementary connector; and   means (10) on the plug portion for cooperating with a releasable clamping device for detachably securing the connector to the complementary connector.   
     
     
       2. A cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein identical connectors are provided on the ends of the cable. 
     
     
       3. A cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conductors take the form of wires each encased in a plastics insulation and held snugly within the inner layer of the sheath. 
     
     
       4. A cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve portion of the connector contains a ring surrounding the sealing body which is secured by the screw-threaded ring against a shoulder in the sleeve portion. 
     
     
       5. A cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plug portion has a peripheral groove into which a locking device can be engaged to secure the connector to the complementary connector.